The OSCE Representative to the Joint Committee on the Skrunda Radar Station

Basic Decisions

On 30 April 1994, Latvia and Russia signed an agreement on the Legal Status of the Skrunda Radar Station During its temporary Operation and Dismantling.

Article 14 of the above Agreement provides for the establishment of a Joint Committee, consisting of an equal number of representatives of both Parties and a representative or representatives from an international organization of which both Parties are members, to monitor and co-ordinate the implementation. The Joint Committee shall discuss and, on the basis of consensus, decide upon any question in connection with the implementation of the Agreement.

In addition, Article 15 of the same Agreement calls for the holding of periodic and challenge inspections by the OSCE (then CSCE) in order to monitor the implementation.

At the 27th CSO Meeting on 15 June 1994, participating States welcomed requests made by Latvia and Russia for OSCE (then CSCE) assistance in the implementation of the above Agreement and asked the Permanent Committee to work out the necessary modalities.

On 30 June 1994, the Permanent Committee requested the Chairman-in-Office to appoint an OSCE (then CSCE) Representative and an Alternate Representative to the Joint Committee established by Article 14 of the above Agreement.

At its 9th Meeting on 23 February 1995, the Permanent Council decided on the Terms of Reference for an OSCE inspection regime (PC.DEC/16). The decision provides for the establishment of a list of no more than 30 persons from which the members of the inspection teams are chosen by the Chairman-in-Office.

Upon conclusion of the temporary functioning of the Skrunda Radar Station, the Permanent Council, at its 176th Plenary Meeting on 9 July 1998, decided on the Modification of the Rules and Modalities for the Implementation of Inspections, setting out the tasks of inspections in the dismantling period (PC.DEC/242).

Tasks

The tasks of the Representative were as follows:

• to monitor and co-ordinate the implementation of the Agreement;
• to initiate and participate in discussions on questions in connection with the implementation of the Agreement and to participate in decisions taken by the Joint Committee on the basis of consensus;
• to participate in establishing the procedural and organizational modalities for the functioning of the Joint Committee;
• to report regularly to the Permanent Committee through the Chairman-in-Office.

Deployment

On 6 April 1995, the Chairman-in-Office announced the appointment of an OSCE Representative.

On 29 May 1995, a Joint Committee was set up at the Skrunda Radar Station and the first regular meeting took place on 4 July 1995.

Duration

The duration of the Representative's work corresponds to the duration of the work of the Joint Committee. The conclusion of the temporary operation of the Skrunda Radar Station was confirmed by an OSCE Inspection Team on 3 September 1998. The dismantling of the Skrunda Radar Station was confirmed by an OSCE Inspection Team on 19 October 1999. In total, 12 periodic inspections were conducted. The final meeting of the Joint Committee took place on 22 October 1999 at which it was decided to disband the Committee by 31 October 1999.

Composition

The OSCE Representatives were: Mr. Jörgen Andersen of Denmark (from April 1995 to July 1998) and Col. Jürgen W. Hübschen of Germany (from 1 August 1998).